Feeding mechanism for a salvo gun



April 4-, 1961 D. c. FLETCHER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR A SALVO GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 9, 1956 r E R m 0 T a m F m. L

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April 4, 1961 D. c. FLETCHER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR A SALVO GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 9, 1956 FEEDING MECHANISM FOR A SALVO GUN David C. Fletcher, Springfield, Mass., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Sec- The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the paymentof any royalty thereon. This invention relates toshoulder arms having a plurality of barrels which are fired simultaneously and more particularly to the feeding mechanisms therefor.

In modern ordnance, efforts are continually being made to increase the efficiency of the infantry riflemen. One approach to the problem is to increase the number of barrelsin the rifie and having them fire simultaneously, whereby a patternof shoes is produced which is kept within a small area and may be accurately placed. With such salvo rifles, one of the design problemsencountered is that of feeding the cartridges to the chambers of the barrels. I r

- It. is, therefore, the specific object of this invention to provide for shoulder firearms having a plurality of barrels a feeding mechanism whereby cartridges are fed from a box-type magazine into the firearm receiver in position to be moved simultaneously byabolt into the chambers of the barrels and the fired cases ejected from the receiver. I I It is a further object of this invention to provide-for salvo rifles a feeding mechanism including a box-type magazine which contains two columns of cartridges biased toward the upper end and which is easily installed in the firearm. I I I It is another object of this invention to provide a magazine well having angularly converging sides which funnel the two columns of cartridges in the magazine into a single column and deliver the leading one of the cartrides to a rotor mounted in the firearm receiver. 7

lt is still'another object of this invention to provide a rotor which is rotatable in response to a gas-actuated operating rod and is provided with secondary chambers which are respectively and simultaneously alignable with the axes of the firearm barrels and which are laterally loaded in succession from the magazine well when the rotor is rotated.

,,It is-another and still further object of this invention to. provide an ejector for removing the fired cartridge cases fromthe rotor, and ejecting them from the firearm during rotation of the rotor. I I I The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of, a preferred embodiment as shownin the accompanying drawing in which: I I Fig; 1* a longitudinal partially cross-sectioned view of the firearm showing the relationship of the compo nents of thefeeding mechanism when the operating rod is inretracted position; I I I I Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectioned view of the gas cylinder and piston assembly;

Fig. "3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

- Fig. '4 isa view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1, but showingthe magazine partially emptied;

-,-, Fig. 5 is a view taken along lineQS -Sof Fig. 1; I A

United States Patent Fig. 6 is a view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a view taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of therotor;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the magazine; and a Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the cam grooves in the operating rod.

Shown in the figures is a firearm having a tubular receiver 12 with an integral stock portion 14 formed in the rear end of the tube from which the receiver'is fabricated. A breech ring 16 is detachably mounted tothe front end of receiver 12 by means of bayonet lugs to provide the support for the breech ends of three barrels 20 which are threadably mounted through said breech ring so that the bores communicate with the inside of the receiver. Barrels 20 are mounted to breech ring 16 so that the axes form an isosceles triangle with the uppermost one lying in the vertical plane of the firearm and the lower two being disposed slightly below the longitudinal axis of receiver 12.

Provided through the center of breech ring 16 is a cylindrical hole (not shown) which slidingly receives an operating rod 24. The front end of operating rod 24 is terminated by a piston 26 which cooperates with a gas cylinder 28 attached by a bracket 30 to the top one of barrels 20. A passageway 32 in bracket 30 provides passage for gases from the upper one of the barrels 20 through the bracket to gas cylinder 28 for actuating pis ton 26 rearwardly when the firearm is fired. If desired, gases may be bled from all three barrels-by providing suitable'passage means therefrom to'cylinder 28.

Provided in stock portion 14 between the rear end thereof and receiver 12 is a transversal wall 34 through which there is mounted a bearing 36 for slidably supporting the rear portion of operating rod 24 which extends therethrough. Such rear portion of operating rod 24 is reduced in diameter, as noted at 38, to a position forwardly of wall 34, and such reduced position is terminated by an annular shoulder 40. Slidably mounted on reduced diameter portion 38 forwardly of wall 34 is a sleeve 42, the bore of which is counterbored to form a shoulder 46 which is engageable with shoulder 40 on operating rod 24 to limit forward movement of such sleeve. A compressible coil spring 48 is mountedon reduced diameter portion 38 between sleeve 42-and bearing support 36 for maintaining the shoulders 40 and 46 in engagement and for biasing operating rod 24 forwardly. The rear end of operating rod '24 is engageable by a suitable buffer assembly 50 provided in the rear portion of stock portion 14 to stop the rearward movement of such operating rod before spring 48 is completely compressed. Operating rod 24 is held against rotation through the cooperation of a pair of diametrically-op posed flats 52 thereon with mating flats 54 provided in a bracket 56 mounted between the two bottom barrels 20.

Cartridges are supplied to the firearm by means of a box-type magazine 58 which holds two columns of cartridges in staggered relationship. The tops of the two sides of magazine 58 flair outwardly to form a pair of lips 60. Magazine 58 is attached to receiver 12 by means of a magazine well 62 which is mounted in the lower portion of receiver 12 to provide communication between the magazine and the inside of the receiver. Magazine well 62 includes a pair of laterally-spaced, longitudinallydisposed sides 64, each of which is provided with a longitudinal groove 66 along the inside thereof. Grooves 66 slidingly receive the lips 60 when magazine 58 is pressed into magazine well 62 from the front end thereof which is open to receive the magazine. Magazine 58 is, held in position by a suitable latch mechanism (not shown). Above magazine 58, the sides 64 converge angularly (Q5.

' ac ress ward each other, whereby the two columns of cartridges in magazine 58 are funneled into a single column as they are biased from the magazine into receiver 12 by a spring-loaded follower 68. To facilitate the merging of the two columns to a single column, the sides of the magazine are so spaced that the centers of the cartridges in the opposite columns are brought closer together than with the conventional two-column magazine, wherein the top cartridge is stripped longitudinally therefrom bythe passing bolt, so that the angular relationship of a line through the axis of the cartiidges in the opposite columns with the inclined portions of the sides 64 is less than 90. Whereby, the cartridges in magazine 58 are easily moved by follower 68 along the sides 64 into receiver 12.

Slidably mounted on lips 69 is a cover-:70 which covers the open end. of magazine 58 sutficiently to hold the cartridges in the magazine during transit. Cover 76 is removable from magazine 58 to free the inclosed cartridges by the engagement of the rear end of the cover with the front ends of sides 64 as the magazine is installed to the firearm.

The cartridges are delivered, as hereinafter described, from magazine 58 to a cylindrical rotor 72 which is mounted for rotation in the front end of receiver 12 contiguous to breech ring 16. An annular flange 74 on the front end of rotor 72 cooperates with an annular shoulder 76 in receiver 12 to prevent rearward movement of such rotor and an axial bore 78 through rotor 72 permits passage of operating rod 24 therethrough.

Provided in rotor 72 are three secondary chambers 89 which are spaced according to the chambers of the three barrels 2t) so as to be simultaneously alignable therewith. Each of the secondary chambers 80 is bored so that a cartridge received therein is slidable into the chamber of the barrel aligned therewith. The cartridges are 'receivable into the secondary chambers 89 from magazine Well 62 through ports 82 which are provided in the periphery of rotor 72 and are shaped according to the longitudinal silhouette of the cartridges. The leading sides of the ports 82 are provided with a radius to facilitate entry of the cartridges into the secondary chambers 80 from the magazine well 62, as rotor 72 is rotated thereby.

Rotor 72 is rotated to bring the three secondary chambers 80 into successive communication with magazine well 62 by means of three cam grooves 84 formed in operating rod 24 and mating pins 86 which extend radial! ly from bore 78 to be slidingly cooperable with such cam grooves such as is more fully described in applicants copending application, Serial No. 621,487, filed November 9, 1956. As shown in such application the cam grooves 84 are generated so that rotor 72 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction 275, whereby all three of the secondary chambers 80 are communicable with magazine well 62, while operating rod 24 is moved rearwardly responsive to the actuation of the firearm and is counterrotated to align the secondary chambers with. their re- 4: received by an annular ejector groove 102. Ejector groove 102 extends some 275 around the rear portion of rotor 72 so that the free end of ejector 100 rides therein during rotation of the rotor. Annular groove 102 also is sufficiently deep, relative to the secondary chambers 80, that the end of ejector 100 is engageable with the cartridges in such secondary chambers below the dead centers of such cartridges to pry them from the secondary chambers during counterclockwise rotation of the rotor 72.

After being pried out by ejector 100, the cartridges slide along the outside edge thereof to an ejector poit 104 on the right side of receiver 12. During ejection,

ejector 100 is supported by engagement with the left one of the s des 64 and is spring-biased thereagainst. Ejector 10% 1s pivotable outwardly to permit the loaded secondary chambers 80 to pass thereby during the clockwise movement of rotor 72.

Operation A loaded magazine 58 is mounted to the firearm by introducing lips 60 thereon to groove 66 in magazine well column of cartridges in magazine 58 converging into one spective barrels during counterrecoil of the operating rod.

The cartridges are moved simultaneously from the secondary chambers 80 into the chambers of the barrels and extracted therefrom by means of a bolt mechanism 88 which is more clearly described in the aforementioned patent application. Such bolt mechanism includes a hub portion 90 slidably received in a counterbore 92 introduced into rotor 72 from the front end thereof, and three breech closure members 94 which are slidable in secondary chambers 80. The breech closure portions 94 are joined to the hub portion 90 by arm portions 96 which are slidingly received by suitable openings 28 between counterbore 92 and secondary chambers 89, and suitable extractors are provided in the front end of such breech closure portions.

A11 ejector 100 is pivotally mounted for lateral move ment to the outside of theleft one of the sides 64 so as to extend upwardly into receiver 12 so that the end is by the angular relationship of the axis of the cartridges in the opposite columns with the inclined portion of the sides 64.

With the firearm charged, the cartridges in the three barrels 20 are fired simultaneously by firing means such as is described in applicants copending application, Serial No. 621,486, filed November 9, 1956 and the resulting gases produced in the top one ,ofthe barrels are partially bled through passageway 32 into the gas cylinder 28 to impel piston 26 and attached operating rod 24 rearwardly. As operating rod 24 moves rearwardly, bolt 88, by means not a part of this invention, extracts the fired cartridge cases from the chambers of the barrels and retracts them into their respective secondary chambers in rotor 72. Then the earns 84 in operating rod 24 cause rotation of rotor 72 in a counterclockwise direction through the cooperation of the pins 86 therein to bring the tired cartridge cases into successive engagement with ejector which pries them from the secondary chambers 80 through the ports 82 and ejects them from receiver 12 through ejector port 104.

After the fired cartridge case has been ejected from each of the secondary chambers 80, the empty secondary chamber passes over magazine well 62 whereby the cartridges successively positioned in the mouth thereof are pressed into the secondary chambers through the ports 82 by the bias of follower 68.

If by chance a cartridge should fail to enter one of the secondary chambers during this portion of the cycle, another opportunity is provided for the secondary chamber to be loaded during the counterrotation of rotor 7'2 to battery position duringthe counterrecoil of operating rod 24. When operating rod 24 returns to full forward position by the bias of spring 48, rotor 72 is positioned by the cam grooves 84 and pins 86 so that bolt 88 may slidingly move the cartridges in the secondary chambers to the chambers in the barrels and fire them to initiate another cycle.

From the foregoing, it is clearly apparent that there is herein provided a novel means for feeding cartridges to a firearm having a multiplicity of barrels simultaneously fired, and which is simple and rugged in'construction, easy to manufacture, and positive in operation.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim:

1. For a shoulder firearm having a receiver, a plurality of barrels with chambers for cartridges and a gas-actuated operating rod reciprocable between a normal and a recoil position, a feeding mechanism including a rotor rotatably mounted in the receiver, a plurality of secondary chambers disposed in said rotor according to the arrangement of the axes of the barrels so as to be simultaneously alignable therewith, a magazine for biasing a plurality of cartridges therein upwardly, a magazine well ingthe receiver for mounting said magazine thereto and for delivering the cartridges from said magazine to said rotor, means for admitting the cartridges in said magazine well into said secondary chambers when aligned therewith, cam means on said operating rod and said rotor for rotating said rotor so that all of said secondary chambers are movable into communication with said magazine well during actuation of the operating rod and for aligning said secondary chambers with their respective barrels when the operating rod is in the normal position, an ejector for prying fired cartridge cases from said secondary chambers before said secondary chambers are rotated into communication with said magazine well, a port in the receiver for ejecting the cartridge cases pried out of said secondary chambers from the firearm, and pivotal means for mounting said ejector whereby said ejector is pivotable out of the way by the camming engagement thereof with the cartridges loaded in said secondary chambers during counterrotation of said rotor.

2. The device of claim 1 including an annular'groove disposed around said rotor for receiving the free end of said ejector whereby during rotation of said rotor the free end of said ejector is engageable with the fired cartridge cases below dead center for the prying thereof from said rotor, and a side on said ejector for slidably guiding the cartridge cases pried from said rotor to said port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 351,960 Bruce Nov. 2, 1886 664,952 Jeter Jan. 1, 1901 1,129,884 Mauser Mar. 2, 1915 1,335,839 Johnston Apr. 6, 1920 2,404,277 Coleman July 16, 1946 2,483,837 Nettles Oct. 4, 1949 2,586,358 Maillard Feb. 19, 1952 

